Division I and II Boys Basketball Tournament team reports and overview

After a competitive regular season of hoops, it's win or go home for 12 teams at the Western Massachusetts' Division I Boys Basketball Tournament. The brackets are finalized and the match-ups are set, with the top four teams receiving byes in round one. Central, Putnam, West Springfield and Holyoke make up the teams with the best shot to represent this side of the state. At the Division II level, only seven teams qualified for postseason play. Greenfield and South Hadley head into the tournament as the top two seeds. Below are the respective team reports for the top teams in each division, including who will need to shine to lead their team to victory and a shot at the state championship.

Division I Tournament:

No. 1 Central: 16-4, 8-0, Valley
For Central, it all revolves around the big two. In this case, big does not just refer to the size of their game. Kamari Robinson and Chris Baldwin have, excuse the pun, had gigantic seasons for the Golden Eagles. Baldwin is averaging 16.3 points per game, while Robinson has scored double-digit points in every game this year. Although Robinson is the team's undisputed leading scorer with 21.7 points per game, the return of Cornelius Tyson might have the biggest effect on the team's championship hopes. Tyson is an extra offensive weapon that has been added to an already formidable lineup. Tyson was the hero in last year's state finals victory over Brockton, when the unheralded guard came off the bench to score 16 second-half points. Since his return from ineligibility for academic reasons on Feb. 1, the senior has averaged 9.3 points per game. He joins fellow guard Ju'an Williams (9.4 pts/g) to give Central a solid back-court.

No. 2 Putnam: 19-1, 7-1, Valley Wheel
It was no coincidence that an undefeated Putnam team without Dizel Wright suffered their only loss of the season at the hands of West Springfield on Feb. 12. Wright suffered a hip injury in a win over Westfield on Feb. 6, and just recently returned for the last two games of the season. He is averaging 12.6 points per game, and his return could make the difference in a close game. Leading scorer KayJuan Bynum is averaging 16.3 points per game for the Beavers, and fellow big man David Murrell has put up 14.9. Together, Bynum and Murrell make up a ferocious interior attack that is just as effective on the defensive end. Jonathan Garcia, although only averaging 8.1 pts/g, does all of the little things right, and is a coach's dream because of his hustle. Carlos Gonzalez is also averaging 12.5 pts/g.

No. 3 West Springfield: 20-2, 7-1, Valley Wheel
There is no way around it. As Riyadh Asad goes, so goes West Springfield. Asad is averaging 19.9 points per game, including a sensational 40-point outburst on Feb. 4 against Westfield. Asad is also a threat from beyond the arc with his 42 treys on the year. That's not to say that the Terriers don't have a formidable supporting cast. Chris Lipscomb provides the interior punch with 11.9 pts/g. He also came up huge in West Springfield's upset of Putnam on Feb. 12 with 19 points, including the game-winning three-pointer with under 30 seconds to play. Andy McNulty provides another 3-point threat in addition to Asad. McNulty has drained 28 treys on the year. The return of Paul Bessette, whose season did not start until Jan. 7, has only improved West Springfield's offense. The starting point guard has averaged 11.7 pts/g since his return.

No. 4 Holyoke: 14-6, 1-5, Valley
Emmanuel Rivera may not be Holyoke's leading scorer, but his presence as a legitimate 3-point threat makes him a dangerous cog in the Holyoke attack. Rivera has drilled 46 3-pointers this season, making up a solid portion of his 11.9 points per game. He is the perfect outside complement to Justin White, the team's leading scorer. If Rivera can take away some of the pressure that teams will put on White, it will help free up White. White is averaging 16.1 pts/g for the Knights, and hasn't dipped below 10 points in a game all year. Guillermo Godreau-Rivera provides an additional outside presence with 22 treys and 9.7 pts/g.

Division II Tournament:

No. 1 Greenfield: 18-2, 7-1, Hampshire East
Greenfield has six players with over 100 points on the season, led by Lew Borden with 171 points, good for 11.4 per game. In addition to Borden, the team's balanced attack includes Robin Marchese (10.1 pts/g in 13 games), Vincent Funari (7.1 pts/g), Garrett Hudson (7 pts/g), Tyler Miller (6.8 pts/g) and Connor Eckstrom (6.4 pts/g) round out the balanced attack. It is the Green Wave's defense that has led them to the top seed in the tournament. They have allowed a stingy 40.2 points per game by their opponents. If they can continue to hound the opposing team, they will have a good chance to win out.

No. 2 South Hadley: 13-7, 5-2, Central
South Hadley is led by the 3-point shooting of its two guards, leading scorer Evan Marcus and T.J. Fitzell. Marcus is averaging 15.6 points per game, including 29 treys. Fitzell, the better 3-point shooter, has nailed 38 on the year, and averages 11.4 pts/g. Avon White and Anthony Bullough comprise the remaining punch for the Tigers. White has 10.4 pts/g for the season, while Bullough has 8.4.